


On Hold

by R_S_B



Series: Eyes on the Stars, Feet on the Ground [8]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-09-30 01:31:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17214491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_S_B/pseuds/R_S_B
Summary: Before Gabriel Lorca swaps places with his Mirror Universe counterpart, he spends an evening with an old friend. And he has a question for her.





	On Hold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MsEllieJane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsEllieJane/gifts).



> Much thanks to Helen8462 for her constructive feedback! She helped me make this a better story.
> 
> Story Eighteen in Eyes on the Stars, Feet on the Ground, following Philippa and Katrina throughout their lives.

_And every time I let you leave_ _  
_ _I always saw you coming back to me_

The xx, On Hold

* * *

_I’m planetside for a couple of days. Want to do dinner? I’ll cook spaghetti._

Katrina bit down lightly on her lip, smirking at the seemingly innocent missive. It had been some time since she’d spoken to Gabriel; longer since she’d seen him. But long absences had never gotten in the way of their friendship, or in the way of… _spaghetti_.

The last time they’d been in San Francisco at the same time, she’d messaged him -- _I’m hungry, want to get some spaghetti?_ \-- and he’d shown up at her apartment, well after dinnertime, and she’d smiled and taken him to her bedroom. They didn’t eat anything, but both left feeling very satisfied.  

It was a game they’d played for many years, their own secret code. Sometimes things didn’t work out.  Occasionally one of them was dating someone else, or was too busy to get away from work. But usually, they found a way to one another, even if it was only for a few hours.  

_I’d love to. Your place or mine?_

His reply came quickly. _Mine. 1900. See you there._

* * *

When Katrina arrived at the entrance to Gabriel’s apartment and rang the chime, she had no expectations beyond a relaxing, sexy break from the endless swamp of work that awaited her at Starfleet Command. Things with Gabriel had always been simple and uncomplicated. They knew what to expect from one another. There was no question or hesitation. They trusted each other, _cared_ for each other. But there were no promises, no entanglements. It was an arrangement that had worked for them for a long time. And even better, there was none of the learning curve and risk of a new partner. They had plenty of experience together -- he knew _just_ how to get her off.

When the door slid open, Katrina noticed two things, in succession. The first impression was of Gabriel, smiling warmly in the doorway, that same crooked smile that had never in the decades they’d known each other failed to make her feel like she was the only thing left in the universe. He was wearing a crisp linen shirt and Katrina was glad she bothered to go home and change out of her uniform before she’d come over.

“It’s good to see you, Gabriel.”

His grin widened. “It’s good to see you too, Kat.”

She cocked her head to the side, tight smile curling across her lips, and stepped into his apartment. They were standing quite close, and Gabriel closed the distance between them, one hand caressing the nape of her neck and pressing a kiss against her mouth.

Katrina returned his kiss with a soft sigh. When she pulled back, she smiled up at him. “It’s been too long.”

“Much,” he agreed. Stepping back, he waved her into the apartment. That was when she noticed the second thing. The smell of garlic and basil suddenly filled her senses, wafting into the entryway from the kitchen. “Come on in,” Gabriel continued. “I’ll get you a glass of wine.” He headed in the direction of the kitchen, while Katrina remained frozen in sudden confusion. “Do you still prefer whites?” Gabriel called over his shoulder.

“Um, yes,” Katrina replied, forcing herself back into action and busying herself by taking off her jacket.  She hung it by the door and followed him in, and was greeted by the sight of her old friend's kitchen table, set for dinner with a big bowl of pasta in the middle, a plate of garlic bread, and a smaller bow, filled with Brussels sprouts -- her favorite. Gabriel was pouring two glasses of wine. He handed the first one to her, then filled one for himself.

She had to admit that she had absolutely not expected actual _spaghetti_ to be in any way involved in her evening. “This looks… amazing,” she admitted. Then she added “It smells delicious!” in case her hesitation was taken as insincerity.

Gabriel shrugged. “You’ll have to tell me if I got the Brussels sprouts right.” He raised his glass and Katrina followed his lead. “To the future,” he said.

Katrina smiled curiously at him. “To old friends,” she offered, clinking their glasses together. They each took a sip from their wine glasses then Gabriel gestured at the table.

They both sat down, and Gabriel filled their plates with food. They ate quietly at first, as Katrina sampled a bit of everything. He speared a Brussels sprout with his fork and waved it at her. “So? How are they?”

Katrina swallowed and smiled. “Delicious. Might actually be better than my father’s.” She tilted her head at him and licked her lips. “I didn’t know you were such a good cook-- you know,” she corrected herself, “that’s not true.” She took a bite of garlic bread and washed it down with wine. “When we were at the Academy, you made those… what were they? Double chocolate brownies? When we are all staying up all night for that astrophysics final. They were delicious!”

Gabriel smiled at the memory. “Double chocolate caramel brownies. That was a secret Lorca family recipe, you know. I do enjoy cooking. It’s just usually hard to find the time. I imagine you understand.”  

Katrina grinned. “Only too well.” She tried not to think about the fact that all she had eaten that day was coffee and a protein bar. “Well, I can’t wait to see what you have for dessert.”

Gabriel grinned. “Oh, just another Lorca family classic.”

At this, Kartina raised her eyebrows. “You don’t mean --?”

“Oh yes,” Gabriel insisted. “All the fortune cookies you could want.”

Katrina laughed and Gabriel joined in, and it felt so _good_. When the laughter finally petered out, she smiled at him affectionately. “It’s really nice to see you again, Gabe.” She reached for his hand and he took it, clasping in hers across the table. “You know,” she continued, “this is not what I was expecting tonight. Not that it’s a bad thing!” 

Gabriel squeezed her hand. “I know. I um, I guess I wanted to do something different this time. I… have been thinking a lot recently. About a lot of things.” He let go of her hand and began to gesture into the air. “My job. My ship. My future. You… us.” He paused, as though gathering strength. “We’ve danced around each other for so long, Katrina. We’ve never tried to give ‘us’ a real shot. I want to. To give us a shot at a real relationship.”

Katrina felt all the air leave her lungs. She stared at him in surprise. Words failed her. “I… you… “

Gabriel waved her off immediately. “Don’t say anything now. Just think about it. And in the meantime, we can enjoy ourselves and have a lovely evening. No pressure.”

Katrina smiled in relief. “That… sounds like a great plan.”

They returned to their food, chatting amicably about their lives, catching each other up on new developments since the last time they’d spoken. Katrina didn’t offer much, but questioned Gabriel with great interest about his recent missions with the _Buran_. When they were finished, Gabriel began to clear their plates and tossed Katrina a fortune cookie. She broke hers apart delicately, popping it in half, then pulling apart each fold. Gabriel leaned against the counter and crushed his between his hands in a manner that had always made Katrina cringe.

When the last of the crumbs were licked away, she joined him at the counter and passed him the last plate. He set it to the side, and reached for her, and Katrina hesitated before she let him take her hand and pull her close. “Gabe… “

“Nothing has changed. Not yet. I meant what I said.”

Katrina leaned in a little closer and she could feel the soft whisper of his breath against her lips. “Are you sure?” she asked.

His nose brushed hers. “Absolutely,” he whispered.

Katrina closed the distance between them, kissing him softly, and he sighed in pleasure and held her close, one hand caressing her face and the other resting on her hip. He nipped at her lip, and her stomach fluttered. “Gabe,” she gasped, kissing him more forcefully.

“Kat,” he whispered.

He pushed off from the counter and reversed their positions, trapping her between the synthetic wood and the warm and familiar press of his body. She slid her hands up under his shirt, over the muscles in his back then back down, nails scraping down his shoulder blades. She nipped hungrily at his bottom lip and Gabriel groaned and reached down, lifting under her thighs to pick her up and set her on the counter.

Katrina let out an undignified squeal, that turned into laughter, and Gabriel joined in, kissing up her neck through his smile. She wrapped her legs around him and his hand caressed her jaw before sliding into her hair and around her neck, pulling her close and kissing her mouth.

“You know,” Katrina murmured between kisses, “there is,” she gasped, “a more comfortable place… to do this.”

Gabriel rumbled an acknowledgment in the back of his throat then lifted her up into his arms  She tightened her limbs around him and giggled. “Gabriel!” she admonished. “Aren’t you a little old for this?”

He grinned at her and pushed her against the wall. “We’re not so old,” he insisted, kissing her neck and using his body to hold her up against the wall. “And you know exactly what sort of exercise regimen Starfleet requires of both of us, _Captain_.”  

Katrina started for a moment then laughed. “How could I forget?” He came back up and she kissed him hungrily. “Take me to bed, Gabriel.”

He groaned against her mouth. “Gladly.”

He did eventually give up on carrying her, about half-way there, and they stumbled together the rest of the way into the bedroom. Katrina tripped over his ankle and fell onto the bed, pulling Gabriel down on top of her. Their laughter filled the room, slowly petering out as he leaned down to kiss her.

Their kisses were hungry and Katrina was suddenly impatient to get rid of the layers of clothes between them. Her fingers slid up under his shirt again, lifting it up, and Gabriel sat up just long enough to pull it off before diving back into Katrina’s arms.

“Better?” he whispered.

“Much.” Her hands moved over the flat planes of his chest. “You know, whoever designed the Starfleet officers’ exercise regimen should really receive a Medal of Honor.”

Gabriel chuffed. “He did.”

Katrina’s laughter was joyful and unrestrained. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Gabriel kissed her behind the ear. “I’m not! I mean, he didn’t win it for _that_ , but… “

Katrina flipped both of them over and leaned forward, hands splayed across Gabriel’s chest. “I don’t care.”

Gabriel grinned. “Yes, _sir_ , Captain,” he replied, reaching up to undress her. His hands were deft, practiced, and they quickly divested her of her shirt and her bra.

“That’s better,” she teased breathlessly, as his hand palmed her breast. She leaned forward, capturing his mouth with hers and he groaned and slid his other hand between their bodies. He fumbled with her pants, and she sat up aside his hips and unfastened them for him. He quickly seized the opportunity, hands sliding down her ass and pushing her pants down. He squeezed her ass and she sighed and rolled her hips against him. The feeling of his erection digging into her sent a thrill up her spine and she repeated the motion. Gabriel groaned again and rolled them onto their sides so he could get her pants off. When they were off, she took over, pulling off her panties and tossing them across the room.

Gabriel grinned and rolled them the rest of the way over, onto her back. His knee pressed between her legs, and his hand slid up the outside of her thigh, tracing up the curve of her hip and down between her legs.

“Ugh, Gabe… “ she groaned, as his fingers teased sensitive flesh and set off a fire in her belly. “ _Yes_ , oh, right _there_ ,” she gasped.

Gabriel’s smile curled crookedly across his face. “You like that?”  

She didn’t respond, instead grasping him through his pants and stroking him up and down. His face contorted in pleasure and she flipped them over. He grunted as he thumped against the bed and she quickly freed his cock and removed his pants, climbing back on top of him when she was finished.

She leaned forward a little, hands on his chest, and lifted herself enough to put a little space between them. Gabriel moved with her, knowing what she wanted, and grasped the base of his cock, lining himself up with her body. She sank slowly down onto him with a pleased sigh.

He reached up for her, one hand returning to palm her breast and the other stroking her face. She began to move on top of him, and Gabriel moved with her, thrusting up into her, bodies coming together over and over again. Gabriel ran his thumb over her lips, pushing it into her mouth. Katrina groaned around his thumb and moved faster.

Her breathing was coming quicker. He pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and she groaned and bit down on his thumb. Gabriel pulled his hand away and dropped it to the junction of their bodies. He pressed his hand against her lower abdomen, thumb rubbing circles against her clit. “Fuck, Gabe!” she gasped. Her movements didn’t speed up so much as become more forceful, skin slapping loudly as their bodies slammed together harder.

She leaned forward, kissing him hungrily, hands pressed into the bed on either side of his head. Gabriel slid his hands up and down her back, caressing the curve of her spine. He rolled them over and Katrina looped her hands around his neck, holding him close. He thrust into her gently as he adjusted his angle, and Katrina wrapped her legs around him, ankles crossing behind his back.

“Harder,” she gasped.

He paused for a moment, looking into her eyes, then he smiled. He pressed a tender kiss against her mouth, then pulled back and began to drive into her forcefully.

“ _Yesss_ ,” she hissed, arching up into him.

Gabriel groaned and leaned back, settling on his knees. He grasped her by the hips and pulled her down onto his cock. He began to thrust again, one hand wrapped around her thigh and the other stroking her clit.

“Gabe! Ohh! _Yes!_ ” Her eyes fluttered shut, overwhelmed by the sensation, and then she was coming, her cries almost drowned out the long, low groan Gabriel made as he came, curling around her and burying himself deep inside her.

When it was over, Gabriel collapsed on top of her, both breathing heavily, too spent to move. She closed her eyes and rested her hands on his back, reveling in the closeness of their bodies. Gabriel eventually rolled off of her, and she moved with him, curling around his back as their breathing began to slow.

“That was… “ Gabriel huffed, “nice.”

Katrina chuckled low in the back of her throat, but didn’t say anything. She squeezed him tightly around the middle and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. Then she leaned into him, cheek flattened against his back, and let her eyes flutter shut again.

* * *

Some time later, Katrina was spooned against Gabriel’s side, head nestled against his shoulder, one hand idly skimming circles over his chest. They were still caught in the fuzzy, warm bliss of sex, movements languid, bodies flushed. Their desire to be close blinded them to the sticky sheen of sweat on their skin.

“I’ve missed you,” Gabriel whispered.

Katrina smiled wistfully. “Me too.”

Gabriel took a breath, the sound of someone about to launch into a prepared  statement. “Katrina--”

Before he could proceed any further, Katrina cut him off. “I’ve been promoted.”

Gabriel was silent as he tried to process the sudden and unexpected input. Finally he spoke, “Um, well that’s great, Kat, that’s--”

“Vice Admiral. You’ll be in my chain of command.”

It wasn’t impossible to maintain a relationship with someone else in Starfleet. But there were measures and policies in place to avoid putting people in positions where they would have to make life or death decisions implicating their partner. Usually, it meant transferring one or both people to different positions. But the higher one went in the ranks, the harder it was to avoid such complications. A significant segment of Starfleet would be directly or indirectly under Katrina’s command.

“ _Oh_.”

“Yeah.”

Gabriel didn’t look at her, just stared at the ceiling and stroked her arm. Both were quiet for a long time. Gabriel didn’t volunteer to transfer and Katrina didn’t ask him to. There was a barely discernible shift, so slight Katrina couldn’t tell if she’d imagined it. His body seemed just slightly stiffer, his voice more controlled. Somehow further away without having moved anywhere. “Well. That’s wonderful news, Katrina. You deserve it.”

“Thanks.” She paused. “I’m sorry. I should have said s--”

“It’s fine, Kat. I told you, no pressure.”

Part of her wanted to go back to the warm, fuzzy fog. But she didn’t. She laid in bed with him until her bare skin got cold then climbed out of bed. She freshened up and got dressed and when she returned, Gabriel had pulled on underwear and a soft, cotton shirt. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her.

“It was good to see you, Gabe.”

“Always, Katrina.” He gave her a sad smile. She hovered by the door and he piped up again, “Well, I guess you’ll probably be here in San Francisco even more now. I’ll be swinging back by here in another couple of months. Maybe we can get together.”

A multitude of responses flew through her mind.

_Well, I’ll be hopping around the Beta Quadrant for the next seven to nine months…_

_… maybe?_

_No._

She stopped herself from giving a real answer. “That sounds great. I’d love to.” She gave him a quick, but sincere, smile, and left.

The next time Gabriel’s name came up in a communication, it wasn’t an offer for “spaghetti,” or any other invitation. It was a message from Starfleet.

The _Buran_ had been destroyed.


End file.
